Liam Rosenior’s first taste of managing in the Champions League will not live long in the memory. Chelsea toiled against determined underdogs and were at risk of a humiliating result before a late header from Moisés Caicedo kept alive their hopes of direct qualification into the last 16.
Victory lifted Chelsea to eighth in the standings. Yet they will have to be much better when they visit Napoli in their final game next week. FC Pafos were comfortable for long spells and Rosenior’s fourth game in charge had threatened to become an ordeal before Caicedo broke the Cypriot champions.
Chelsea have had a mixed return to Europe’s top table. They were schooled by Bayern Munich in their opening game, responded with comfortable wins over Ajax and Benfica, followed dropping points against Qarabag by thrashing Barcelona and conspired against themselves by losing from a 1-0 up against Atalanta last month. They remain maddeningly inconsistent, although they can never be ruled out in a cup competition. One-off occasions tend to suit their vibe and, for Rosenior, there is encouragement to be taken from mid-season managerial changes acting as the catalyst in the seasons when Chelsea have conquered Europe.
